Omaha Orange

A

Anthony J. Rzucidlo - Deceased - 1953-2019

I have a couple of questions for a project that I am involved with. I would like to know what year was Omaha Orange required to be used on ambulances and what was the reason for selecting that color? My other question is, what year did it no longer become a requirement and that ambulances operated both in the public and private sectors could use any color scheme for their ambulances?

Thanks in advance.

Anthony J. Rzucidlo
 
I worked from 1973 to 1990 and never once worked in an ambulance painted Omaha Orange. I was told that you only had to paint it Omaha Orange if any federal funding was used to purchase the ambulance. Others may have done it electively.
 
I remember back in the late 1970s one of the volunteer fire companies purchased an ambulance using federal funding. Under the federal standards, it had to be white with an orange stripe, blue lettering and blue warning lights. The county reserved blue lights for police use only, so they had to apply for an exemption with the Federal Govt. in order to have red lights.
 
That's about correct. The color "Omaha Orange" was included in the Federal ambulance specifications, which I believe date originally from 1973 (+- a year). In an effort to standardize the appearance of ambulances, they were all to be painted white with an Omaha Orange stripe.

I believe the color was selected based on safety considerations and the fact that it didn't conflict with fire apparatus colors (red, lime green at the time, etc.).

The Federal specifications were not mandates, they were recommendations. However, if an ambulance was purchased with Federal funds, it was required to meet the Federal specs. At the time, "block grants" were available for the establishment and improvement of EMS systems, which included Federal money for the purchase of modern ambulances. So, if your service used block grant money to buy an ambulance, it had to meet the Federal specs, including the Omaha Orange stripe. And there were a lot of ambulances bought with block grant money at the time. The block grants ended with the end of the Carter administration.

Some states mandated ambulances meet the specs to receive a state license, no matter how you bought it. Many other agencies bought ambulances built to the Federal specs, even with their own money, as this was considered "the best" at the time. And ambulances owned by Federal agencies (such as the military) had to meet the Federal specs - with some exceptions, they still do.

But yes, if you wanted to buy an ambulance not using Federal money, and there was no other requirement that it meet the Federal specs, you have always been allowed to paint it whatever color you wanted.
 
Omaha Orange and Michigan

Steve Lichtman said:
That's about correct. The color "Omaha Orange" was included in the Federal ambulance specifications, which I believe date originally from 1973 (+- a year). In an effort to standardize the appearance of ambulances, they were all to be painted white with an Omaha Orange stripe.

I believe the color was selected based on safety considerations and the fact that it didn't conflict with fire apparatus colors (red, lime green at the time, etc.).

The Federal specifications were not mandates, they were recommendations. However, if an ambulance was purchased with Federal funds, it was required to meet the Federal specs. At the time, "block grants" were available for the establishment and improvement of EMS systems, which included Federal money for the purchase of modern ambulances. So, if your service used block grant money to buy an ambulance, it had to meet the Federal specs, including the Omaha Orange stripe. And there were a lot of ambulances bought with block grant money at the time. The block grants ended with the end of the Carter administration.

Some states mandated ambulances meet the specs to receive a state license, no matter how you bought it. Many other agencies bought ambulances built to the Federal specs, even with their own money, as this was considered "the best" at the time. And ambulances owned by Federal agencies (such as the military) had to meet the Federal specs - with some exceptions, they still do.

But yes, if you wanted to buy an ambulance not using Federal money, and there was no other requirement that it meet the Federal specs, you have always been allowed to paint it whatever color you wanted.
Click to expand...

In Michigan there was a Company Called Paramed in Oakland County
The Owners Sued and Won against the State and federal Govt's
They Recieved Monies from both agencies and they Bought new Ambulances
(Private Companies They owned 3 at the same time) The Govt stated We gave you money to Buy new units they have to be "Omaha Orange"
The Owners said "Omaha Orange does not go with Our Paint Scheme Maize and Blue. and Our Vehicles will stay Maize and Blue and Until they sold to AMR
Several Years ago their vehicles were maize and blue

Yes "Omaha Orange was Mandatory if You bought a Vehicle with Federal Funds

Russ
 
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